Why the Arizona-Mexico relationship is so vital to baseball

Every time our relief pitcher, Jorge De La Rosa, enters the game to Deorro’s hit song “Bailar,” I’m reminded of the incredible impact that our neighbors to the south make to the game of baseball and, more importantly, to our great state.

Of course, not every left-hander born in Mexico can throw 95 mph, as Jorge does, so the majority of our friends focus on jobs that make Mexico our state’s largest trading partner.

According to the Arizona-Mexico Commission, there are 100,000 jobs in Arizona directly connected to trade with Mexico.

Nearly 65,000 Mexicans come to Arizona every day, spending an estimated $7.8 million each day, which adds up to almost $3 billion annually.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and other political and business leaders understand the importance of our relationship with Mexico and have prioritized accordingly.

In fact, the governor has made our partnership with Mexico a key component of his first term in office while the mayor recently opened a trade and business office in Hermosillo, Sonora, complete with pictures and paraphernalia from all four of our major sports teams.

In the words of Glenn Hamer, CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “Arizona is now seen as the state with one of — if not the — most positive relationship with Mexico.”

That relationship is both deeply personal and special to me.

Baseball is said to be as American as apple pie, yet we have created an incredibly diverse and welcoming ballpark community filled with fans of all nationalities.

On the field, the numbers don’t lie: A report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport stated that 28.5 percent of players on MLB’s 2016 Opening Day rosters identified themselves as Latino.

We were honored to be recognized last month as the 2017 Corporation of the Year by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce based on the efforts of the hard-working staff at the D-Backs.

But we are just one of many companies that have recognized the value of creating an authentic connection with the communities in which we live.

Whether it’s accents on our jerseys, our monthly Spanish-language magazine La Cueva de los D-backs, the new La Terraza area of Chase Field that features Latin beats, authentic Sonoran dogs and fun for any family, or the 10 exhibition games we have played in Hermosillo, our bonds with Mexico run deep.

Several years ago, we created the “Los D-backs Ambassadors Council,” composed of local leaders who advise our organization on any issues that impact the Hispanic community.

They guide us on every topic — both north and south of the border — and we have given them and all of our fans our strong commitment to create an environment at Chase Field that is inclusive of fans from around the world.

Derrick Hall is president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Email him at dhall@dbacks.com; Twitter, @DHall Dbacks.